After All(45)

I mean it to be short and sweet, nothing more than a press of the lips. But just like what happened in the car, the moment our mouths touch, there's a magnetic pull between us, our lips immediately wanting, no, demanding, more of each other.

Before my brain can catch up with what's going on, we are full on Frenching in front of the entire restaurant like a pair of horny teenagers.

And the moment we pull back, I see something in his eyes, a wild sort of tenderness, that I can only hope is true. The fact that there are a million eyes and even the flash of a camera on us doesn't seem to matter. When we kiss, it becomes the only thing that's real.

I give him a shy smile and sit back down. I'm not embarrassed at having done that in public but once again I'm chiding myself for letting me read into something that's just an act.

Don't catch feelings. You might not be as immune as you think.

"Thank you," he says to me. "I almost believed that."

I give him a puzzling look just as the waitress comes by with the bill. Then I put back on my happy girlfriend face, which slides in place with ease. Maybe I'm a natural born faker.

After dinner, while the heads in the restaurant swivel our way as we leave, we get into the waiting Suburban.

I expect Emmett to start touching me wildly like he was doing earlier, but he just stares out the window, deep in thought. The silence isn't uncomfortable for once, so I close my eyes and nearly doze off in my seat, only waking up once the car comes to a stop outside my apartment. 

"Let me walk you to your door," he says to me, taking my arm and leading up the path toward the building. He stops, grabbing both of my hands.

"You survived your first date with me," he says, eyes shining with quiet amusement. "Congratulations. How does it feel?"

"Strange," I admit. I can't help but smile. "But actually it was a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

"You know how we can make it even more fun," he says, taking a step toward me, closing in the inches. One of his hands disappears into my hair and I try not to sink into this feeling, the easy way he touches me. "Invite me in."

"Emmett," I whisper, trying to find my nerve. I need to be hard and prickly to stand up to him, to turn him down, and yet the more he touches me, his fingers now trailing down the back of my neck, the softer I get. "I don't think this is a good idea." But my words come out in a squeak.

He leans in closer and I swear he's coming into kiss me again and if he does, fuck, there's no way in hell that I'll be able to resist this time. I'll be dragging him up to my bedroom in a hot second and riding him ragged.

But he closes his eyes and presses his forehead against mine, taking in a deep breath.

"I know you don't always like it when I speak what's on my mind," he murmurs, my skin igniting just from the raw lust I hear in his voice. "But it's taking everything I have to not try and persuade you." He bites his lip and glances up at me through his long lashes. "For you, though, I'll be the gentleman you need me to be."

Then he pulls back to press his lips into my cheek, shivers cascading down my back, and straightens up.

"I'll call you tomorrow," he says to me with that easy smile of his and then he turns and walks away, calling over his shoulder. "Sleep well, sunshine."

And then I'm left in front of my apartment building, turned on and bereft. I was this close to having a wild night of hot, sweaty sex with him and then he had to suddenly turn into a gentleman and leave me be.

I watch as the Suburban drives off and shake my head as I go into the building. I love a gentleman as much as the next girl, but damn it, Emmett sure has a knack for making me appreciate a scoundrel.





Chapter 9





Emmett





"So, how's the new Sheila treating you?" Julian asks me while the hair, makeup and wardrobe team flits around us, adjusting us under the lights. I can tell they're listening as they always do.

I give Julian a look. "You know, I've been to Australia and I never heard a single Aussie use the term Sheila. Nor were there any shrimp tossed on any barbies, either."

Julian shrugs and gives me a sheepish grin. "Sorry mate. I know the ladies here love it, ain't that right girls?"

On cue, all of them give him a placating smile, just to keep him happy. The fact is, I might have a bad reputation for being a bit, well, to borrow from Alyssa, prickly on set, but Julian Crane is an outright douchebag. But he's the star of Boomerang and the one with the permanent contract, so it doesn't seem to matter what he gets up to, he's staying put.

As for me, well, I have to say the crew is treating me a bit differently today. Pretty sure it's all because of Alyssa. They aren't exactly falling over themselves to talk to me or be extra nice, but I've seen a few more smiles tossed my way than what I normally get.